This is part of a sponsored campaign with DiMe Media and Coca-Cola. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

I was one of the typical American teenagers, the kind that had the importance of education instilled in me at a very young age. This became even more apparent in high school, as staff and faculty would set an entire class period aside for understanding college application processes. I got a lot from those lectures, there is no denying that, but the people responsible for my attitude towards education and learning has everything to do with my family.

For my entire life, my family has shared the importance of learning with me. One thing they never did was teach it in a “do it to be the best” kind of way, but more of a “do it so you are always improving yourself” way. That has always stuck with me.

When I finally made it to college I worked hard, made the most of it, refused to slack off and came out of it a better person. One of my biggest goals for college was to achieve a perfect GPA, which I did, and also was my class valedictorian. Something I would have never imagined. Thinking back on that still feels like a dream.

When I think about my girls, and how I will discuss education with them on a deeper level, I only hope that I can inspire them as much as my family did for me.

I know there are many of you out there with families just like mine. We see so much hope in education, and so does Coca-Cola, who has partnered with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to help our Hispanic youth fulfil their dreams of college. They are also running the #ForTheDreamSweeps Sweepstakes, which I’ll tell you more about later.

I’m sure we can all relate to the pressures of college, but financial pressure is the number one reason our Hispanic youth do not attend college. I’m so thankful for this campaign, as I know it will inspire so many young people to follow their dreams and become our next leaders. Ready and willing to make the world a better place.

This partnership isn’t all about inspirational words and ‘atta-boy!”s they are doing so much to help, including helping teens and their families not only prepare for the acceptance aspect of higher education, but how to pay for it as well. Over the course of the summer, Coca-Cola will be giving $100,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

In addition to that amazing donation, they are taking it a step further. Coca-Cola is donating $1 for every social media post with the hashtag #ForTheDream, up to $10,000.

Let’s all band together and do our part, a social share is only the beginning of changing many lives.

Giveaway

Coca-Cola #ForTheDreamSweeps Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes always excite me. I never care too much about winning myself, but what I do love is watching the look on the winner’s face. The pure joy and excitement is contagious to say the least. This prize is so much better than a giant stuffed animal or a boom box, or any other cool thing you could win. Here’s what the winner gets:

College Tour Experience

(34) x $500 grants to cover education expenses

All I know is $500 is a TON of money for a college student. That can help take the stress off of buying books that are over $100 a piece, and buying the parking permit so the student doesn’t have to take the bus. These little things all add up, and when they are all taken care of, learning is enjoyable.

There are two ways to enter the sweepstakes:
Entering a product code on the sweepstake microsite: http://coke.com/forthedream
Posting a selfie on Twitter or Instagram with someone who is helping you achieve your college dreams, and hashtagging it #ForTheDreamSweeps.

What are you waiting for? Enter now and share your selfie!

Nina Say is a slightly geeky, obsessive book collector and huge music fan. She is married to her high school sweetheart, pretends she is a professional photographer and is moderately clumsy. July 30, 2015 by Nina Say | 2 Comments